Early Childhood Development Topic of Community ForumsDiscussions will focus on developing necessary life skills for our youngest citizens

Birmingham, Alabama— The earliest stages of a child’s life, age’s newborn to 3, are proving to be the most important time for developing necessary life skills from learning to play, speak, learn, behave, and move. The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) has been supporting this development through toddler story times and signature programs such as 1,2,3, Play with Me for many years. In keeping with the Library’s mission to create lifelong learners, BPL is hosting a series of forums designed to look at and discuss approaches to make sure that young children receive the support that will help them reach their full potential as they grow and begin their formal schooling. During the forums, citizens will have the opportunity to explore multiple approaches to supporting children during their first three years of life.

Titled “Minding Our Future: Investing in Healthy Infants and Toddlers,” the forums, all facilitated by The David Mathews Center, are scheduled at the following BPL locations:

The David Mathews Center, in researching the discussion guide, found that according to the Harvard University’s Center for the Developing Child, a strong foundation of health for young children requires positive relationships, safe and stable environments, and good nutrition. “At these forums, citizens will explore options for supporting our youngest Alabamians, and, hopefully, they will make decisions together,” says Cristin Foster, Acting Executive Director of the David Mathews Center for Civic Life.

These forums are sponsored by the Birmingham Public Library in collaboration with The David Mathews Center for Civic Life. The programs give citizens an opportunity to lend their voices to timely, focused discussions. For more information, contact Sandi Lee at 205-226-3742.

ABOUT THE DAVID MATHEWS CENTER FOR CIVIC LIFEThe David Mathews Center for Civic Life (DMC) is a nonpartisan facilitator of dialogue and deliberation that assists communities, groups and citizens to make more effective and productive decisions. DMC connects Alabama’s citizens with community leaders, teachers, organizations and institutions to share civic practices and discuss issues that affect communities nationwide. DMC’s wide range of experiential, capacity-building programs and education-focused resources helps citizens and communities make decisions. Through its dynamic public forums and regularly-published issue books, DMC fosters productive learning, civic engagement and stronger communities. DMC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Montevallo, Alabama, with statewide impact.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BPLFor additional information about the programs and services of the Birmingham Public Library, visit our website at www.bplonline.org and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. The mission of Birmingham Public Library is to provide the highest quality library service to our citizens for life-long learning, cultural enrichment, and enjoyment. This system—with nineteen locations and serving the community for 128 years—is one of the largest library systems in the southeast.